Following discussion of allegations of abuse, Sogyal Rinpoche, Buddhist teacher and author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, "has decided, with immediate effect, to retire as spiritual director from all the organizations that bear the name of Rigpa in different countries around the world," according to a press release from the organization dated today.
The [...]

The Dalai Lama said that when a teacher commits ethical misconduct and disregards Buddhist ethics, students should make the misconduct public.
https://youtu.be/S6yzH-1si8o?t=1h15m10s
In a talk last week, the Dalai Lama addressed recent allegations of misconduct in Buddhist communities. In July, famed Tibetan Buddhist teacher Sogyal Rinpoche was accused [...]

Following the release of a letter recently issued by current and ex-Rigpa members, which details alleged abuses by Rigpa founder and spiritual director Sogyal Rinpoche, we have now received from Rigpa the following press release, which acknowledges the letter and indicates that Sogyal Rinpoche will "step back" as the community looks into next steps:
Press release
July 21, [...]

A letter dated July 14, 2017 and signed by current and ex-members of Rigpa, the international network of centers and groups founded by Sogyal Rinpoche in 1979, has been posted on the internet, detailing abuses allegedly committed by Sogyal Rinpoche.
[UPDATE: On Friday afternoon, July 21, Lion's Roar received from Rigpa a press release in response to the letter. Read "Rigpa [...]

Longtime practitioner and psychotherapist Rob Preece says even though as students we may be devoted to our teachers, we can't afford to idealize them anymore.
In 1973, I found myself seated before a colorful brocaded throne in a meditation hall in a small Tibetan Buddhist monastery near Kathmandu, Nepal. I was among a large group of young Westerners waiting with some [...]

An Olive Branch presents an action plan for putting the necessary supports in place to protect sangha members from abuse and for creating procedures to deal with it if it happens.
Buddhist groups in the United States have been rocked in recent years by misconduct on the part of honored teachers—misconduct that in some cases had been going on for many years but was kept secret [...]

In this video series from Buddhadharma, Ajahn Brahm offers four short, insightful teachings.
The editors of Buddhadharma were fortunate to have a visit with Theravada Buddhist monk Ajahn Brahm. Brahm is normally found in Western Australia, where he is the Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery and a famous advocate for the full ordination of Buddhist nuns. He is also the author of many [...]

On November 2, Eido Shimano, age 83, issued a letter to the Zen Studies Society sangha, addressing that community's need for healing in the wake of Shimano's reported misconduct, as documented in Mark Oppenheimer's The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side. (See also, on Lion's Roar: "Zen teachers issue open letter confronting abuse'; and "Confronting Abuse of Power.") His [...]

Shi Yongxin. Photo via UK Shaolin Temple, on Facebook.
Last week, The New York Times ran a feature profile on the prominent Chinese Buddhist monk Shi Yongxin, which critically examined his contributions to Shaolin tradition and the new controversy that has erupted around him in the Chinese media. Shi Yongxin, a high-ranking figure in Chinese Buddhism, is the vice chairman of [...]

Starting January 27, An Olive Branch will host a free series of webinars, titled “Ethics in American Buddhist Groups.” An Olive Branch is a Buddhist-inspired organization that works with communities to resolve conflict and create ethical governance systems. The webinar addresses the issue of misconduct by Buddhist teachers and community leaders, which Buddhadharma address in [...]

We’re glad to have you here. But first: who are “we”?
You may very well know us as the publishers of two Buddhist magazines, the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma. Then again, you may not know us at all. Either way, please allow us to re-introduce ourselves:
We’re the Shambhala Sun Foundation. We [...]